


Syrin Song

by NoelEnough



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pirates, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-02-16 06:09:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18685684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoelEnough/pseuds/NoelEnough
Summary: Syrin and her twin brother Arin have been gone a long time. It's been twelve years since their lives changed forever and now it's changing again. The prince and princess of Farreef had been promised freedom, but their mother now has other ideas. The wind taken from her sails, Syrin goes into her arranged marriage with teeth bared and ready to fight for her freedom. She won't let herself be used as a political bargaining chip, not again.





	1. Chapter 1

          “I’m going to be treated like an aquarium exhibit.”

          Arin sighed heavily beside me, letting the relative silence of the open ocean piece together our thoughts instead of saying the first thing that came to his mind. A rarity for him really, usually my twin was quick to tell me off, but this was different. This wasn’t me being intentionally dense or combative. We were the youngest of the five royal children, we had been raised under the assumption that we wouldn’t be bartered out like chess pieces. But here we were.

          “You don’t know that,” Arin said quietly.

          “Arin, you tell me how many times we’ve been treated like normal people.”

          “We’re not normal people,” he retorted. “Even for pirates, we’re not normal on the mainland. We’ll always be mermaids to them.”

          I growled, my gills flaring out and earfins flattening against my head and I could feel a flush of anger heating my cheeks.

          “Exactly Arin!”

          The crew ducked their heads even lower and tried to seem like they weren’t listening, but they were and even if I wasn’t yelling they knew what was wrong.

          “Not only do mainlanders look at me and think of me as an exotic catch, but I’m a fucking princess! You get a pass. You’re the ‘Prince of the High Seas’! You get to do this for the rest of your life because there’s nothing else for you at home! The royal line is passed through the women so you can live however you want! I thought I was free too! We only have three older sisters to make up for the line, all of whom are married to important men!”

          “Sy,” Arin started, looking tired as he tried to calm me but I wasn’t going to be calm.

          “So why the hell am I being pawned off? _And to a human!”_

“Mom said she had a good reason,” Arin sighed, leaning against the rail as I started to pace.

          “That she didn’t include in her fucking letter!” I roared over the waves crashing against the hull. “Just ‘Long time no see Sweetie. I hope you’ve enjoyed your freedom with your brother because it’s done. You’re marrying a human king this summer. See you at his castle. Love you, bye.’”

          I kicked the nearest thing and pain shot up my leg as the poor wooden bucket went soaring overboard.

          “Calliope, Viera, and Astara got to pick their husbands! Why am I being given away?”

          “I know you didn’t ask for my opinion, but,” Gwen, Arin’s first mate spoke up from the barrel she was lounging on, the tip of her long purple tail flicking and pierced horns jingling as she tipped her head. “Your mother is a smart woman who values your happiness over everything. Why else would she let her two youngest roam around the ocean as pirates even after everything at home calmed down? This sucks ass Syrin, but I think you should trust your mother’s decision.”

          Her pitch black eyes bored into me as she challenged me to question her. A perfectly arched eyebrow rose as I surely was spewing steam out of my ears. I sharply turned away from her gaze, my fins starting to peel away from the side of my head but I could feel my arm fins still bristling against my shirt sleeves.

          Gwen was the first mate because she was always right. There was never a situation that the three of us couldn’t figure out. Even if the solution was to run like we stole it, which was frequently, she always got a final say before Arin made it official. I was somewhere between the two. I wasn’t quite co-captaining with Arin, but I definitely held more authority than Gwen. Maybe it was just because I was his sister, but I liked to think it was more than that.

          So when I stormed off to the captain’s quarters that Arin and I had shared for the last six years, no one stopped or teased me. They all turned to look away, but that was almost worse. Less respect for a superior and more respect for the dead.

          I slammed the door behind me, kicked off my boots, and crawled into my hammock. It was the beginning of winter, and the tropical climate kept us from freezing, but I still wrapped myself up in blankets and turned my back to the door. I tried to focus on the sound of the waves to keep me from spiraling into another fit, but I could still hear Arin and Gwen above me surveying the waters around us and speaking quietly.

          “I get being upset about having an arranged marriage,” Gwen scoffed. “But is it really that bad? He’s a King, right? She’ll be spoiled rotten if anything. A twenty-something triton princess is probably a luxury humans have only dreamt of.”

          “Syrin doesn’t want to be spoiled and she doesn’t want to be treated as a prize,” Arin corrected quickly. “She wants to be treated as an equal and you know how she feels about being tied down. She’ll marry the right person and settle down for them, but I’m not so sure this is the right person for her. You’re right, Mom’s judgment is near infallible, but I’m very leery in this case.”

          “Why?”

          “Because it’s not just some random mainland king Gwen. Mom’s arranged Syrin to marry the Mad King.”

          The whole ocean seemed to fall silent. The waves quieted, the wind stopped blowing through the sails, and the crew stopped awkwardly shuffling around on deck. The whole world held its breath as my heart sank into the pit of my stomach.

          “As in, King Ryan,” Gwen clarified, humming with concern after what I imagine was Arin’s nod of confirmation.

          “This seems like an odd way to repair relations with them,” Arin sighed. “And I guess the fact that he’s willing to marry someone from our family says a lot, but… _I don’t know_.”

          “Maybe he’s had a change of heart,” Gwen snickered.

          “The only time I’ve been sure of his intentions was when he killed our step-father,” Arin said. “And I can’t blame him for that. I only wish we had been there to witness it.”

          “If your mother thinks this is a good idea though…”

          “I know, I just don’t think she understands what she’s doing to Sy. We’ve been gone a long time. We ran away when Atlan tried to overthrow Mom and we haven’t been back for more than a few weeks since then. Sy isn’t the sweet little girl she used to be.”

          The feeling of my stomach and my heart finally hitting rock bottom pulled me from their conversation. It was easy to forget how long it had been since our world turned upside down.

          I was barely seventeen when Mom was almost killed. We were on a trip to Ravenfell, visiting the late King Haywood and his family. Alistair Haywood had always been good friends with Mom after my grandparents strove to make peace with the humans, who we had unsteady relations with due to a torrid past of killing tritons thinking we were sea monsters or capturing us because we were “mermaids”.

          I remember Ryan, then in his mid-twenties and quiet compared to his older brother, the crowned prince Theo. I remember Ryan being on the lanky side but putting on muscle as he trained, tired of being the "scrawny one". I remember having a crush on him because his smile could light up a room and he enabled Arin and I’s shenanigans.

          I remember running into him in the halls that night, literally skidding around a corner and into his side as screams filled their castle. I had always been the smallest of all the royal children, so I bounced off him only to have Arin catch me before I toppled backward. Ryan stared at me with wide eyes at the rapier I had clutched in my trembling hand, and shrugged off his shock before taking off towards the main hall with me and Arin close behind him.

          We got there at the same time as our sisters and broke through the locked doors. I remember the smell of blood that permeated the room, and how the red blood looked on the white marble floors. Mom was unconscious and bleeding from a wound on her head and side, the blue triton blood staining the floor and the pommel and blade of Alistair’s sword.

          Mom was accused of killing Alistair, his wife Marjorie, and Theo. I remember the cold look in Ryan’s eyes as he knelt in his family’s blood. Calliope scooped Mom up and we ran to our ship, which was already preparing to set sail.

          The plot was eventually discovered, but not until it had shattered relations with the humans and left me and Arin living in hell. We had been captured and sent away. We were in our early twenties when we got to go home again, but there was so much going on and we felt like outsiders in our own home, so we made our living by being smugglers and pirates. We hadn’t been to Ravenfall since that night.

          I closed my eyes and willed myself to fall asleep. I knew Mom was trying to repair things with Ryan, she had been in Ravenfall for over a year now, but this felt like a betrayal. She and I had changed a lot in the last twelve years, but had it really been so long that she thought I would be okay with this? She had always promised me that she would let me marry whoever I fell in love with. Why this? Why now?

          _Why him?_


	2. Chapter 2

          The bells rang and the ocean lapped at the beach and if I tried, I could forget where I was. But then I looked up and the castle loomed in the distance. Ravenfall was the biggest port city on the main continent but for obvious reasons, Arin and I had avoided it at all costs and had been doing business with the other kingdoms that called this coastline home. King Jack to the south like his fish fresh and King Michael up north liked to have us do some of his dirtier work. It wouldn’t look good for the King to be smuggling in weapons, even if it was to fight off the elves.

          Arin gently nudged me down the gangplank and I felt my entire body stiffen with every step. I didn’t want to be here. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I walked by and every new pair made me feel like I was edging closer to a breakdown.

          “Don’t worry,” Arin said softly as we walked shoulder to shoulder. “Apparently Mom has been here long enough to desensitize most people to the presence of triton. Calliope, Viera, and Astara have been here for a while too.”

          “So why are we being stared at?” I hissed.

          “Because you’re The Twins,” Gwen muttered behind us. “You two are the most well-known pirates in these waters without having to kill everything, and you’re still prince and princess after all. No one here has seen you in over ten years. This is probably the first time many of them have _ever_ seen you.”

“And the fact that we’re both walking into the castle in our best coats and nicest weapons. And we both have _many_ facial piercings,” Arin smiled.

“And, you know, you’re about to become their queen.”

          Arin snapped his head around to glare at Gwen while I clenched my fists and started to walk faster. I blocked out our walk to the castle as best I could, but I could still feel the eyes of everyone in town. Once we entered the castle though, it only got worse. Not only could I feel them staring at me, but I could also hear their whispers echo off the stone walls. I kept my head down and kept moving. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but I knew I needed to keep moving or else I would be cornered.

          “Your Graces!”

          Arin and I froze in place, eyes wide and hands on our weapons as a tall triton man approached us. Arin and I shared a glance before relaxing, his face becoming a wide grin as he recognized the man.

          “How many times do I have to tell you not to call us that Armon?”

          “It’s a habit Your Gra-, Master Arin,” the lanky man flushed slightly as he bowed meekly to us.

          “We’ll work on it,” Arin said quietly as we both winced.

          “Your sisters are waiting in the main hall,” Armon continued, gracefully motioning for us to follow him. “And your mother is with the King right now. He was called away for a meeting and she wanted to talk to him privately before meeting Miss Syrin.”

          I felt my skin crawl and stifled a low growl at the idea of her trying to talk him through wooing me. My hands clenched into fists and once again I ducked my head low to avoid everyone’s stares.

          “About that,” Arin said, stopping Armon as I stared up at the door. “I need you to tell me everything you know about this plan.”

          “This has been a surprise for everyone,” he said with a sad look. “This proposal came on so suddenly it’s even got your sisters in a tizzy.”

          “Was it his idea?”

          “No. It was your mothers.”

          “You okay Sy?”

          Gwen’s voice startled me out of my thoughts and I pulled my eyes away from the ornate doors with hinges that looked significantly newer than the rest of the wood.

          “I don’t know what’s worse,” I started. “My own mother pawning me off, or the fact that he went along with it.”

          “I’m not sure you can call what he’s doing ‘going along with it.’”

          Viera’s low, smooth voice trickled down my back like slipping into a hot bath. Arin and I turned and smiled at our armor-clad sibling. Sapphire blue sea-silk peaked out from underneath her polished iron armor. She and our sisters had inherited Mom’s deep green skin, coral pink eyes, and straight black hair. Arin and I took after our father and contrasted our siblings with our dark teal skin, eyes the color of deep ocean water, and wavy burgundy hair. It had been a year since I had seen Viera, the head general of Farreef’s armies was rarely at home nowadays, and she had cropped her hair short. She hugged Arin first, and I laughed as she squeezed a squeak out of him before nearly crushing me with a hug too. She smelled heavily of hibiscus and I couldn’t help but smile.

          “Bastion pick out that perfume for you?” I teased.

          “This is his new phase,” she smiled as she tipped her nose to her shoulder. “Something about finding ways to make my eyes match the rest of me. You know how he is. Always looking for new and exciting ways to fall in love with me again.”

          “He’s so in love with you it makes me sick,” Arin laughed, then noticed my smile falter.

          “I think it’s sweet,” I said softly, willing the smile to stay on my cheeks.

          Viera sighed heavily as she hugged me again before nudging me to the door.

          “Let’s talk in the main hall,” she muttered, dismissing Armon with a nod and shooting Gwen a look.

          “I’ll go back to the ship now,” Gwen nodded back. “Take care Captain. You know where we’ll be, and I’ll come find you if anything comes up.”

          I took a deep breath before pushing the door open.

          It had been night the last time I was here, and I had been distracted then. The room was stunning now, the afternoon sun shone through the tall windows and the curtains fluttered as the cool breeze carried the last of the fair winter weather in. There were ornate paintings adorning the walls and a rich red carpet was laid out from the door to the throne at the far end of the hall. It stood easily ten feet tall and was a dark oak wood with gold and gemstone inlays. Banners hung on either side of the throne, one depicting a raging bull on a red tartan backdrop and another of a cow skull on a black background.

          In front of the throne stood two women in sapphire dresses and my heartfelt warmer as their eyes lit up when we entered the room. The sea silk dresses fluttered as they rushed forward and wrapped us in their arms.

          “You look _incredible,”_ Astara gushed as she held Arin out at arm's length. “I was fully ready to judge you two for wearing standard pirate fare to meet the King, but… _what is this?_ Are you wearing _wool?”_

“Sea silk gets caught on everything,” I sighed. “And it’s strength means that it doesn’t tear when it gets caught. We’ve put most of our silks away for the winter anyway, so yes. We’re wearing the finest wool coats King Geoff has to offer.”

          “The gold stitching is incredible,” Calliope smiled as she rubbed some of the embroideries on my coat. “This kind of craftsmanship is only possible here in Ravenfell. I’m proud of you two. Not just because you can pull off something so simple and make it look fancy enough to visit royalty, but because you _earned_ this on your own.”

          I looked up at the dainty silver tiara in Calliope’s hair and smiled.

          “High praise coming from the crowned princess.”

          “Don’t remind me,” Calliope groaned. “Cameron and I have about had enough of being trained as the next rulers. I understand the need to be ready, but if there’s one thing we know well, it’s that you can never be truly ready. There is always something you won’t see coming.”

          The room fell quiet as her words fell around us like a heavy fog. I looked at my polished black boots as their eyes fell on me.

          “Can we please talk about this before Mother shows up?” Astara sighed.

          “What is there to talk about?” I scoffed. “I’m being sold off to the Mad King as a peace offering.”

          “That’s not what’s going on. Don’t look at me like that,” Viera snapped as I glared at her. “I’m not sure what’s going on in Mother’s mind, but I do know that King Ryan is going into this as lukewarm as you are.”

          “Then why agree to it?” Arin huffed with a hint of barred teeth.

          “I’m not sure,” Viera sighed. “All I know is he goes stiff whenever it’s brought up. I think he might be playing along just so Mother will stop pestering him about it.”

          “She’s been on this for a while?” I asked.

          “She has,” Astara nodded. “No clue as to why though. Calliope and I have only been here a week and Viera has been on the mainland visiting with the other coastal kingdoms. She refuses to talk to us about it. She says it’s none of our business who you marry.”

          _“Then what makes it her business to tell me who I marry?”_

          My voice echoed off the marble floors and around the room. I could feel tears forming in my eyes and I felt the need to run and be alone, but there was no escape. I would just be caught and brought back here. To bow before a King that used to look at me like a villain.

          For the first time since entering the castle, I felt trapped. It had been weird up until now, to be back here after everything, but now I felt like this was a prison. I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t get back on my ship and sail away. I would be tracked down and hauled back kicking and screa-

          “Sy!”

          I inhaled sharply as I was sucked out of my head and back into the Mad King’s main hall. Arin had a hold of my shoulders and I could feel the tears and cold sweat on my skin.

          “Sy,” he said softly as he cupped my cheeks. “Syrin, it’s okay. It doesn’t feel like it, but you’re safe here. I’m not leaving you until this is all sorted out. You will be able to leave if you want to. You’re not trapped.”

          I was still shaking, but I nodded before scrubbing my eyes with my coat sleeve. Arin pulled me into a hug and I weakly held onto him as our sisters wrapped their arms around me too.

          I took in a deep breath and started to pull away when the doors behind the throne opened up and a familiar voice rang out.

          “All my babies in one place!” Mom sang as she walked towards us.

          Arin and I were scooped up first, quickly enveloped in a soft but crushing hug that put Viera’s to shame. I felt my back pop as she shook us before setting us down and holding us at arm's length.

          “Every day you two look more like your father,” she said, a sad lilt in her tone that quickly disappeared as she sighed.

          Our mom was a large woman. She was well over six feet tall and built like a brick wall, not that you could tell because of all the flowing dresses she wore. She carried herself with the grace of a dancer even though she could have easily taken on an army on her own. Our father had been much shorter so naturally, Arin and I were dwarfed in comparison to her as we barely reached 5’10”.

          “And look at you, my dear Syrin. You’ve grown into such a beautiful woman. I feel like I haven’t had the time to really appreciate it,” she said sweetly.

          I smiled back up at her and I felt my heart fill with pride for a moment as she looked at me with such loving and gentle eyes. Then a sly smirk and a twinkle appeared.

          “I hear you’ve also become quite the handful,” she teased, gently pinching my chin. “You and Arin never stick around long and when you do, you don’t tell me the _interesting_ stories.”

          “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Arin and I said in unison.

          “We’ll talk about it over dinner,” she said with a wink. “But first, there is a far more important conversation we need to have.”

          My good mood and smile fell like a cannonball and I saw her deflate too.

          “Okay,” Arin said, quickly getting between us. “I’m just going to get this out there because I know Sy is incapable of saying it nicely right now: She _is not_ happy with this situation-”

          “That’s putting it lightly,” I huffed.

          “Sy,” Mom said softly as she looked at her feet. “I’m not proud of what I’ve done here an-”

          “Good,” I said bluntly, ignoring my mental reminder to hold my tongue. “Because I understand that we’ve been gone a long time but you of all people should know how absolutely _shitty_ it is for you to arrange my marriage.”

          “I’m sorry Syrin. I know what Atlan did an-”

          _“So why do this to me?”_

My teeth were bared, and tears were streaming down my cheeks. My breathing was ragged and I could feel myself starting to shake. I flinched as she took my face in her hands but I didn’t pull away as she gently brushed my tears away.

          “Girls,” Mom said without taking her eyes off of mine. “Show Arin to his room. I need to have a long talk with Syrin. Alone.”

          There was a moment of silence as everyone waited to see what I would do. I wanted to yell and scream and cry. How could she do this to me when she _knew_ what Atlan tried to do to me?

          “Go.”

          My order was firm but quiet, and the other’s hesitated before Arin gently touched my shoulder and turned to leave. This was my moment to figure out why I was here and what the hell was going through our mother’s mind.

 

          We were quiet for a long time, and I stood there in my mother’s hands while she took me in. Eventually, her breathing shuddered and a tear fell down her cheek.

          “I’m so proud of you,” she breathed. “When Atlan took you and your brother away I-I-”

          I was pulled into a tight hug and all my anger fell away as she sobbed softly into my hair. I wrapped my arms around her and stifled my own tears. After another few moments, she sniffled and pulled away.

          “I thought he was going to kill you,” she shuddered. “I thought I would never see you two grow up. I thought I’d never see you smile again. Or hear the cooks complain about you two eating us into famine.”

          “Oh don’t worry. The ship’s chef says that plenty,” I couldn’t help but laugh.

          _“Pirates,”_ She breathed through a wide smile. “My two babies are pirates. Your father would be so proud of you. I never thought he would choose me over his ship, but I guess that’s love for you.”

          Her eyes got far away and I knew she was seeing him when she looked at me. I had always looked to them as an example of what I wanted in my own life. Someone who loved me enough that they were willing to go to the ends of the world with me.

          “Why mom?” I hissed, heart cracking. “Why are you doing this to me? Why can’t I find it on my own, like you promised?”

          “Because you’re stubborn and afraid,” she said with a rueful smile. “Because Arin is always telling me about how you’re afraid to talk to people because you don’t want to be treated as a trophy or an exotic piece of eye candy. And I know you’re afraid of our nobility trying to take advantage of you.”

          “I’m going to be honest,” she said after taking a big breath. “I only said you were getting married because I know you would come here and fight. It was the only way I knew I could get you to even step foot in Ravenfell.”

          I pursed my lips and I could feel my eye twitch as a growl formed in the back of my throat. I hated that I had played right into her hand, but somehow I was still happy that she still knew me that well.

          “And I lied to Ryan as well,” she added sheepishly. “I told him that I had talked you into coming here to give ‘dating’ a chance. I am fully aware that he only gave me the go-ahead to make me shut up about it and is lukewarm about the idea _at best_ , but I can’t shake this feeling.”

          “What feeling?” I sighed, seeing the passion in her eyes and finally understanding just how ‘into’ this idea she was.

          Mom had a habit of getting ideas stuck in her mind that she would fixate on until given the opportunity to test the idea out. Usually, her intuition was spot on and the idea worked out, but there were still many instances where her idea completely failed and she had to admit defeat. She never gave up on them though.

          _You never know when the idea could change your life for the better._

“I came here to repair relations with him,” Mom said, shifting as she settled in for a story. “Everything in Farreef was finally in the final stages of clean up and I knew his Majesty had allowed trade between our kingdoms but after everything that happened, I felt that I needed to personally make amends. I needed him to know just how deeply sorry I am that I allowed what happened. Naturally, he was closed off at first but I managed to get him to open up and little by little I saw the man he had been before Atlan. Bright smile, cracking jokes, a heart so big it’s no wonder his mother told me he was going to make someone feel like the luckiest woman alive one day.”

          I sighed as I immediately saw where this was going.

          “You two would be good together,” Mom grinned as she took my hands in hers. “You used to get along so well together, and I distinctly remember hearing your brother whisper about you having a crush on Ryan.”

          “I was seventeen,” I snapped back as my cheeks flushed. “He was only nice to me because I was still a kid in his eyes and I was a princess.”

          “I haven’t told Ryan this,” she said quietly as she looked around as if the King would appear out of nowhere. “But his mother had the same idea. She saw potential in you and we had started to make plans to reintroduce you two once you were older.”

          I felt my blood run cold and my jaw dropped.

          “If it never came to be anything more than a friendship, so be it, but she was adamant that you two were going to be close one day.”

          My stomach churned with a mix of anger and nervous butterflies. My face pinched up and I looked off to the side as I tried to figure myself out.

          “Sweetie,” Mom said softly. “I know what Atlan did. I know he tried to use you as a pawn, but I promise you that’s not what I’m doing here. I want you to be happy and safe, and I think you have a chance at that here with Ryan. I just want you to at least give it a chance. Trust me, I wouldn’t put my baby in danger. I never want you to hurt again.”

          The room blurred as tears welled in our eyes again. I could hear the sincerity in her voice and I knew she thought she was doing the right thing. It was fucked up that she lied to both of us to get us here but if there was one thing I knew; it’s that Mom was certain this was a good possibility for my future.

          “I’ll try,” I sighed as I looked up at her, and was nearly blinded by her smile.

          If Mom, and Mrs. Haywood apparently, thought Ryan and I would at least become friends then I may as well try.

          It _would_ be nice to have a friend that doesn’t just see me as Arin’s Twin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Local Nervous Mom Fucks Up but Is Trying Her Best.


	3. Chapter 3

          The door to the Mad King’s study was beautiful. Dark oak with beautiful carvings that made it look like the gates to a secret forest. I could see the veins in the leaves, every careful bend of the stems, a few various forest creatu-

          “You gonna just stare at the door all evening?”

          I turned my head just enough to glare at Arin as he leaned against the wall with his trademark smirk. It was bad enough that I was staying in the same wing as the King while the rest of my family slept in the guest wing a floor below, but now Arin had taken it upon himself to ensure that I did exactly as I promised Mom.

          “I’m not leaving until you go in there and talk to him,” Arin whispered as I refused to move.

          “What if he’s busy or doesn’t want to talk?”

          “Then you turn around and walk away.”

          “What if h-”

          Arin cut me off by pushing off the wall and knocking on the door.

          “Come in.”

          My mouth hung open uselessly as I stared at my brother, his smirk growing into a mischievous grin as he gave me a two-finger salute and sauntered away. My lips made a soft sound as I clamped my mouth shut and nervously reached for the handle. I couldn’t back out now even though everything in my body told me to turn and run.

          After the murder of his family, Ryan went on a rampage and killed any triton that stepped even slightly out of line. Our people fled Ravenfall in droves and I heard stories of the executions. Public displays of power as Ryan showed us just what he was capable of. Arin and I listened in on Atlan’s private meetings and heard what happened when the Mad King got his hands on several of Atlan’s lackeys. Tortured for information before being filleted alive. When we misbehaved, Atlan threatened to throw us at the Mad King’s feet.

          I vividly remembered the look in his eyes as Calliope and Viera picked Mom off the floor. Pools of pain and suffering as tears fell down his cheeks and blood soaked into his pants. He had been shaking as he clutched his mother’s hand and the last thing I saw before turning to flee was his slack-jawed expression turn vicious. His voice carried through the halls and haunted me for years.

_“Stop them! Kill them if you have to!”_

          That residual fear made me swallow hard as I pushed open the door to the King’s study. He knew the truth now. He knew I had nothing to do with his family’s deaths. He knew Atlan hurt me almost as much as he had hurt him, but I had lived in fear of him for so long, in fear of everything at that time…

          So long that I was completely taken away by the man that slowly rose from a huge mahogany desk littered with maps and papers. I had built a monster in my mind, one who would hang me for my proximity to what happened. A large man with a permanent snarl and dark eyes that made no effort to hide the blame he put on my family.

          Instead, bright blue eyes stared back at me as I froze in the doorway and a similar look of shock was clearly painted on his features. His short blond hair looked like it had been swept back by his hand while he was working but strands fell back around his face, drawing my attention to the scruff that lined his jaw. The grey that speckled his short beard reminded me just how old he was, how much time had passed, but it did nothing but give him an air of authority. He was bigger than I remembered him being, having put on a decent amount of muscle in the twelve years since we last saw each other. His white tunic was unbuttoned at the top, showing off the edges of a few scars and a smattering of chest hair.

          King Ryan let out a surprised gasp, his cheeks tinting pink as he buttoned his shirt and came around the desk as I closed the door behind me. His sleeves pulled taut as he brushed a few wrinkles out of his shirt and took a few purposeful steps to meet me, his signature red tartan swishing around his knees.

          “Your Majesty,” I said as I bowed, trying to hide my smile as the phrase felt odd. We had been equals before. Prince and Princess.

          “There’s no need for formality Prin-” he paused, a smile of his own tugging at his lips. “Syrin. I don’t want this to be any more uncomfortable than it already is. I am _so_ sorry for what your mother did to get you here. I had no idea.”

          “While I am still upset, I regret to say that she was right. It was the only way she could get me to come here.”

          “Still, it wasn’t right and I apologize for enabling her,” he sighed.

          “I hear she’s been on this for a while,” I said with a soft smile.

          “She has,” King Ryan took a deep breath as he rolled his eyes. “I eventually said I’d give it a chance if you would because I assumed you wouldn’t come near Ravenfall… _unless forced to.”_

          He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, realizing his folly and I huffed a short laugh as I looked around.

          “If you’re not interested, I’ll leave,” I sighed. “Well as much as I can. I had to promise her I would at least be friendly and stick around for a bit.”

          “I…Uh…” Ryan stammered and his blush deepened as I raised an eyebrow. “I might have promised the same thing when she told me what she had done to get you here.”

          We both laughed but it was short and an awkward silence fell on us. He was being kind, and even a little cute, but there was still a huge, bloody elephant in the room. I chewed on my cheek as I tried to come up with the best way to approach the situation.

          “I’m sorry.”

          I blinked, not quite sure I heard him correctly but when my attention returned to him I saw the absolute sincerity in his eyes. Any semblance of a smile was gone and he looked sad and remorseful.

          “I’m sure you see me as a monster,” he continued. “I did terrible things and I deserve the nickname your people have given me. I know your mother has forgiven me as much as she can, and I know your merchants have started to trickle back into Ravenfall, but I’m still sorry. I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. I’m sorry for everything that happened.”

          “I did see you as a monster,” I said softly, looking away as he winced. “And it’ll probably be a while before I’m comfortable here.”

          “It took me a while too.”

          I looked back to him, his words once again getting soft as his eyes wandered around the room and I felt a pang of guilt. Sure, this place held bad memories for me, but it was nothing compared to him. Everything here had been his father’s or his mother’s or his brother’s. Every book, shelf, and knick-knack was theirs until that night. He looked around the room with a sad, distant look in his eyes and I tried to think of what it would feel like. To suddenly have the halls quiet and have everything remind me of their absence. I could relate a bit, it took me years before I could go back into my father’s study, and even then I only went there so I could cry and pretend he was there. I had the ability to move on and at least pretend. Ryan had been forced to take responsibilities he was never prepared for. To take ownership of things that were never supposed to be his. King Ryan cleared his throat, breaking the tension and pulling me back to the moment.

          “You’re free to roam around the castle as you please,” he said. “Everything within the castle’s outer walls is at your disposal. If you want to visit the docks or the town, I just ask that you tell me so I can make sure you’re properly escorted.”

          “I can handle myself,” I sighed, unable to hide the bitterness in my tone.

          “While I’m sure you can, I know not everyone has been as quick to accept you and your family’s apology. I’d rather you have at least one person with you than to have someone think they can try something when you’re on your own.”

          I bit my tongue and nodded slightly. I was more than a little miffed at his requirement, but there was something in the back of my mind that told me to play nice. Even though he smiled when he said good-bye and that he looked forward to getting to know me, I couldn’t escape his eyes. They lacked the darkness that I remembered, but a voice in my brain reminded me that it was there. It had been there and at one point he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill me. They were bright now, but they had haunted my dreams for so long I couldn’t forget.

*~* _A Few Weeks Later_ *~*

          I ducked around a stall selling large rugs and held my breath. After a few seconds, I could hear the clatter of my pursuer’s armor and sword as he came to a stop nearby. The vendor eyed me curiously, but at this point everyone in town knew who I was so when I held my finger to my lips she merely shook her head and went back to counting her till.

          The man following me cursed up a storm before taking off down the row of stalls. I waited a few moments after the last I heard him before nodding to the woman, tossing her a few silver and pulling my cloak up over my head. She sighed in exasperation as she started recounting her earnings.

          For the first time, I was thankful for the sudden onset of winter in Ravenfall, as my heavy black cloak conveniently hid me in the crowd. The only way anyone could tell I was Princess Syrin was if they looked me straight on. I pulled it closed around me to keep the cold out and my obvious appearance out of sight. I shivered as the chill nipped at my face but kept moving forward. The sooner I got to the tavern, the sooner I’d be warm again.

          Being part fish, triton aren’t as good at maintaining body heat as humans. Everyone around me was in basic wool and maybe a scarf while I was bundled up in a heavy wool coat and cloak and was still shivering. We normally didn’t travel this far north during the winter, or if we did we only stayed for a short time before retreating back to warmer waters, but I had been stranded here.

_“You’re what?” I shouted._

_“It’s getting cold and I have a job lined up in the south,” Arin sighed, looking sheepishly at our mother. “And Mom wants me to take her, Calliope, and Astara back to Farreef along the way.”_

_“So you’re leaving me here?” I snapped._

_“I’ll be back in a few weeks for the King’s birthday party,” he smirked. “We’ve always wanted to see it in person. It would be nice to finally be able to partake in the festivities rather than just hear about it.”_

_“You’ll be fine sweetheart,” Mom said softly as she laid a hand on my shoulder. “You and Ryan have been getting along well and he has agreed to let you stay the winter.”_

_“Why don’t I get a fucking say in this?” I roared. “Yeah, Ryan and I are to the point where the silence isn’t as heavy as it used to be, but leaving me here? Really??”_

 

          I could have fought harder. I didn’t _have_ to stay here, but I would be lying if I said Ryan didn’t intrigue me. After a few days he invited me to dinner and we actually started laughing at one point. I was still weary, unable to ignore the voice in the back of my head that told me he wanted me dead, but once again that bright smile drew me in like a moth to a flame.

          The only problem is that with the threat of a harsh winter came more responsibilities for him, and I could only handle sitting in on so many resource meetings before I started to wiggle in my seat and disrupt them. That was why I was slinking through the town. I needed something to do, but I hated the fact that I was still being babysat.

          I glanced around, searching for any sign of my nanny before stepping into the tavern. The moment the door closed behind me I lowered my hood and took a deep breath. The room was filled with greetings and I smiled as the bartender slid an ale to me and nodded towards an empty booth on the far side of the building.

          I had been coming to The Hole for a while now, having discovered it the first time I ran from my nanny and immediately fell in love with the place. It wasn’t dockside, but I could still hear the wind fluttering the sails of the ships and the ale was always top notch. I tried to lay low while I was here, but sometimes I would get pulled into a card game and end up in a heated argument over rules or an unending back and forth for the win.

          Today was not one of those days though. I sat back in my booth and sipped on my ale as I warmed up, occasionally talking to the few people who came over to talk to a Princess of Farreef.

          “I never thought I would get this close to a Princess,” one of the waitresses smiled as she set down my third drink.

          “I hardly fill the part,” I smiled. “I don’t wear the flowy dresses or the jewel-encrusted tiaras.”

          “But you have enough gold on you to fund a small village.”

          I sighed heavily as a familiar, deep voice chided me. I leaned forward as the woman stepped aside in shock.

          “Hello Dominic,” I groaned. “I see you finally caught up to me.”

          “I’ve been around you enough that I knew the first place I should look is the docks,” the man hummed as he sat down across from me and ordered a drink.

          His deep brown eyes stared at me as I looked over him. Dominic was about Ryan’s age and they had grown up together, Dominic’s father was a prominent noble and his mother was the heiress of a large merchant family. Dominic has been by Ryan’s side since they were children so it was a no brainer when it came time for Ryan to appoint a general to his army, and Dominic doubled as his right-hand man. His dark skin was decorated with gold tattoos that meandered across him like ivy, a few of which trailed along his cheeks and drew me to his shit eating grin.

          “You keep looking at me like that and I might get a complex or something,” he snickered into his mug.

          “I like your tattoos,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “The gold looks nice on you.”

          “And yours looks good on you,” he smiled, motioning towards my piercings. “But flattery won’t make me forget to scold you for running off again.”

          “Dom-”

          “Don’t get snippy with me Syrin,” he said seriously. “You’ve made friends here, sure, but there are still plenty of people here who aren’t so keen on having the Waycrests back in Ravenfall. Ryan just wants to make sure you’re safe.”

          “I can handle myself,” I growled.

          “I know you can,” Dominic smirked. “I’ve enjoyed our sparring matches, but that doesn’t change the fact that you would still be overpowered by anything more than five people. It’s not that Ryan doesn’t believe in your abilities, it that he doesn’t fully trust his people to behave themselves. Mob mentality makes people braver than they usually would be.”

          “Yeah!” a man at a nearby table shouted, grinning as my attention snapped to him. “The King just wants to make sure his prize is safe from the grubby hands of the people.”

          “Excuse me?” I snarled, ignoring Dominic’s warning hum.

          “If I had the power and authority to put a guard on the pretty triton woman I would,” the man smiled, swaying slightly in his chair as his eyes roamed my body. “I wouldn’t want anyone touchin’ you but me your highness. The King’s a lucky man to have caught you.”

          “He didn’t catch me,” I spat. “I am here to repair our family’s relationship. I am not his exotic lover. I am not a trophy to be won and displayed.”

          I downed the last of my drink before standing up and making for the door. I heard Dominic grumble about not finishing his drink before he was hot on my heels.

          “You can go finish your drink,” I huffed. “I’m going back to the castle so you don’t have to follow me anymore.”

          “I’m not following you because Ryan told me to,” Dominic said seriously as he matched my pace. “I’m following you because you’re upset and I want to know why.”

          “You want to know why?” I asked as I stopped, spun on my heels and glared at him. “I’m pissed off because since my father died I’ve been treated like I’m worthless. I am the youngest of five children. I will inherit nothing. I will never be anything more than a political bargaining chip and I refuse to let that happen to me again.”

          “Again?” Dominic asked.

          “Atlan tried to marry me off to his loyal nobles.” I hissed. “Every time they returned me like an unwanted gift because I made their lives a living hell. I am not a chess piece to be used for victory. I am Syrin Waycrest, Princess of Farreef and Co-Captain of The Undine. I am my own person and I refuse to be moved around and traded like a tool for success.”

          “Then why are you here?” Dominic huffed as he pulled me off the main road and into an alley. “If you’re so adamant at not being used, why are you still in Ravenfall and not back on your ship?”

          “Because I’m hardly even captain on my own damn ship!” I shouted, all my pent up feelings finally breaking lose after years of repression. “Arin is the captain. I’m just his sister! They only listen because I’m his sister. I’m still here because I wanted to know what it was like to be treated like an individual and I was hoping Ryan would be able to look past that, but no! I’m just another responsibility to him. A problem that he just needs to tolerate a little longer before he can send me off back to my family. Why else would he give me a damn nanny? That’s what Atlan did! He assigned me a nanny to make sure I stayed in my place and acted appropriately because otherwise no one would be willing to deal with me and he couldn’t pawn me off!”

          “You really think Ryan looks at you and sees a burden?” Dominic scoffed. “You need to pay more attention then because, and I didn’t tell you this, he wants you safe because he cares about you and your family, not because it’s expected of him. And for what it’s worth, he doesn’t give two shits about your title and position in life. He remembers you and your family fondly. He regrets what he did to your people because you are the closest thing he has to his family. Your mother remembers his parents and seeing you around the castle has made it a little less empty to him.”

          I shut my mouth and squeezed my hands into fists as I held my tongue. I whined about having a nanny, but Dominic wasn’t an annoyance in any other way. He was kind, fun, and a good listener. And he was never afraid to tell people how he felt.

          “He agreed to have you in the castle initially because he wanted to apologize,” Dom continued. “He hated the idea that you two had been equals at one point and he let some asshole rip him apart from your family. Your mother was his father’s best friend and his mother always told him to keep you close.”

          “What?” I asked, interrupting him before he could continue.

          “Apparently his mother saw something in you,” Dominic shrugged. “She thought you two had the potential to be close like Alistair and Anita.”

          I remembered what my mother had told me the day I arrived and I couldn’t help but chew on my cheek. So Ryan did know about his mother’s advice. Maybe that was why he was willing to give “us” some kind of chance. I always remembered him being close to his mother, so he was probably giving her idea a chance on top of what Dominic said. My mother said it took him a bit to open up but I had no such problems. He was already open to me and very upfront about everything that had happened. He didn’t want anything standing between us.

          “You’ve got your thinking face on.”

          I puffed out my cheeks and scowled at him, only making his wide grin even brighter instead of making him drop it.

          “You can admit it,” Dom whispered as he gently nudged me back toward the street. “You want to impress Ryan because you have a chance to be yourself away from the shadow of your family.”

          I growled and started back towards the castle as I pulled my cloak around me, trying to hide my shivering.

          “Well,” Dom continued with a smug hum. “I know for a fact Ryan is in a meeting with his naval officers right now. They’re a bunch of prissy old geezers who haven’t been on a real voyage since before you were born, but they are the best suited for the job. How about you go in there and show them what you’re capable of?”

          I did my best not to smile, to give in to the way he was playfully bumping my shoulder and wiggling his eyebrows. I _did_ like the idea of being able to show off what I had learned over the last several years.

          “They’ll ignore me because I’m just a Princess, I’m sure of it,” I sighed. “I’ve noticed that your nobility likes to remind me of that fact when I speak.”

          “Fuck ‘em,” Dom said firmly. “You’re the expert on the current state of the oceans. If they won’t listen to you because you’re ‘just a princess’ that’s their problem. Even if you don’t get them to listen, you’ve shown them that you’re _not_ just a princess. You’ll be showing them exactly who Syrin Waycrest is.”

          I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, unable to hide my smile any longer and feeding into the knowing smirk on Dominic’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dominic is the best wingman.


	4. Chapter 4

          The room fell silent as Dominic and I walked up to the table. Three noblemen, the youngest of which looked like he was in his late fifties at best, stared up at me in confusion as Ryan looked up at us with an eyebrow raised. He looked tired and judging by the way he was slouched back in his chair, the meeting wasn’t going smoothly.

          “I heard you were discussing trade routes, so I figured I would bring in an expert,” Dominic said.

          “She’s hardly an expert,” The oldest man snapped as he folded the map I was looking at.

          “So years trading with the other kingdoms means nothing?” I hummed as I simply turned my attention to another map.

          “You’ll have to forgive Lord Feing, Syrin,” Ryan sighed as he reached out and flattened the map the man was trying to protect. “He has made his opinions of you very clear over the course of the last hour and a half.”

          “She is a visiting dignitary and I will treat her with the respect a Princess of Farreef deserves.”

          My eyes flicked up to meet his and caught the tail end of his scowl before he hid it behind a carefully crafted mask of polite disinterest. His words were flat and unassuming, but I could see the emotion boiling behind his eyes. I took in a deep breath as I prepared to defend myself against his accusation, but someone else was already there.

          “Lord Feing,” Ryan snarled, leaning forward in his chair. “I told you to keep your thoughts to yourself. Queen Anita was my father’s best friend and I will not allow you to vilify her family. I understand that there are still people who still see the Waycrests as murderers, but the truth is that none of the Waycrest children had anything to do with the death of my brother and parents. _In fact,_ if there’s anyone in this room that was just as deeply affected as me by Atlan’s treachery, it’s Syrin. You _will_ treat her with the respect a Princess of Farreef deserves, and that’s the same respect you give to me.”

          There it was. That deep darkness that I had seen the night his parents died. The deep darkness that had terrified me for so long, but now that it wasn’t directed at me I could see it for what it was. It was anger sure, but it was anger that stemmed from loyalty. He had been ready to fight that night. To fight for his parents and Theo. To fight to protect his people and avenge his family.

          Now it was cowing his nobility, and each of these older men either hung their head or looked away with shame. My heart fluttered as I watched his icy gaze slowly shift from one noble to another, challenging them to question his loyalty to me and my family or to treat me as anything but his equal. Once he was sure they were sufficiently scolded, Ryan sat back in his chair and turned his gaze to me. It was still dark, but I found myself unafraid of their depths.

          “Now please,” Ryan said as he motioned towards the table. “For the love of the Gods tell them why a trade route through Shark Tooth Straight is a bad idea.”

          Suddenly my light heart sank to the floor and I ran my tongue across my teeth as I contemplated what I should say so that disagreeing with the Mad King wouldn’t be quite as bad as it could be.

          “Syrin. No,” Ryan sighed, his posture crumpling as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

          “It’s not an entirely bad idea,” I said softly, pulling the map of the area to the center of the table.

          Lord Feing rolled his eyes, but the other two lords looked mildly amused as I took a deep breath.

          “Arin and I get through that area as fast as we do because we know the waters,” I continued, running my hand along an invisible line along the shore. “The reef will tear apart larger ships, so you can’t run an armada through the straight, but smaller trade ships _can_ make it through unscathed. The Undine is a small ship, so the keel doesn’t hang low enough to get scratched, even if we do get too close to shore.”

          “I told you we could send a few galleons throu-”

          “No,” I said, cutting off the nobleman whose chest immediately deflated. “The Undine is a small sloop-of-war. She’s narrow and agile. Taking a fully loaded galleon would be a job for experts and only done in good conditions. The second the waters get just a little more than choppy, I would take larger ships around. A trade route through the straight isn’t an entirely bad idea if you know what you’re doing, and even then I wouldn’t take bigger ships through there.”

          “I’m assuming you’re trying to get fresh food from King Jack once winter really takes hold?” I asked, turning to look at Ryan as I leaned over the table.

          I saw him hide a smirk behind the hand he was leaning his head on before giving me a nod and waiting for a response.

          “Your best bet then is a lot of smaller ships with experienced captains,” I sighed, looking at the map. “And fast. The ocean is starting to get more violent and I’m not sure how much longer the straight will be traversable without sending everyone involved into a panic attack.”

          “Or I could send a few galleons the long way and not worry about it,” Ryan countered, clearly retaining his stance from before I arrived.

          “Then you run the risk of food going bad,” I said, sitting up and crossing my arms. “And on a galleon, one barrel of bad food quickly becomes the entire cargo hold. Unless you’re willing to only get preserved or long-lasting foods.”

          Ryan chewed on his cheek, the middle finger of one hand gently tapping the armrest of his chair as the other supported him so that he could see the maps.

          “You are also going under the assumption that it’s one or the other,” I said with a shrug. “I would send a few smaller ships through the straight whenever possible and have the galleons going the long way as often as needed.”

          “But none of our captains know the straights well enough and our window of opportunity for practice is closed,” Lord Feing huffed.

          I sighed as I thought, ignoring the smug look of victory on the noble’s face when I stayed quiet for more than a few seconds.

          “I could teach them,” I sighed. “I could go with them on a run or two, or at least show them how to handle the waves in the straight.”

          Ryan sighed as well, and I saw Dominic’s eyebrows go up as Ryan nodded.

          “Arin and your ship will be here in a few days for my birthday celebration next weekend,” the King relented, either ignoring or not noticing the way everyone in the room was staring at him with wide eyes. “I want the two of you to teach a few captains how to navigate the straight. It’s going to be a rough winter, and even if we can only get fresh food once or twice it’ll be enough to keep the people from getting too depressed.”

          I felt my heart flutter again as he stood, taking my hand and shaking it while the noblemen left without a word. I must have been colder than I thought because he was so warm I almost didn’t let go as he tried to yank his hand away from my icy grip.

          “How are you not dead?” he gasped, checking his hand like I could have given him frostbite.

          “I don’t really have a good way to stay warm,” I sighed, looking at my own fingers and noticing how pale they were. “Sitting by a fire dries me out and too many layers will make me overheat.”

          “Has no one told you about the pools?” He asked, looking at Dominic in disbelief.

          “Pools?” I asked and I could feel my fins twitch at the idea of swimming.

          The water in the harbor was too busy and too cold for me to swim in, so I hadn’t been able to keep myself from drying out too much. I could feel it gripping my body every time I tried to bend too much and every night I had to pick off my flaking skin.

          “There are spring-fed pools in the basement,” Ryan said with a small smile. “They’re warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They’re off limits to anyone but the royal family.”

          I heard Dominic utter a small “oh my god” as I lit up. My gills ached from underuse but they flared out with excitement as a big, and surely dopey grin spread across my face.

          “I wondered what was behind that door,” I breathed as all my energy was suddenly transported to my legs. “Well, you know where I’ll be then!”

          I took off at a dead sprint through the halls, my smile not faltering as I imagined myself taking a nap at the bottom of a hot spring.

 

*~Ryan POV~*

          Dom’s soft curse was exactly what went through my mind, but it was still an understatement. Syrin’s pupils fully dilated, the deep blue quickly consumed by black like an excited cat. Her gills opened up as if already gasping for water and her earfins twitched, the gold chains that hung from them jingling as she practically started to vibrate. She’d had the same reaction when I told her she had free reign of the kitchens, and just like then I felt the need to kiss her. To do anything to keep that look on her face.

          The first few nights she was heard I had nightmares of the way she looked the night of the murders. Eyes wide with fear and the sword shaking in her hand. I had been racked with guilt, but now I had very different feelings. We hadn’t been close before, she was about five years younger than me and so I was just a little too mature for her while we were growing up, but mother’s words played in my head as Syrin spun on her heels and took off, already knowing the way because she had spent her first week exploring the grounds.

_“She’s going to be a handful for someone someday,”_ She’d always say, casting me a sly look every time.

          I ignored it then, thinking my mother was insane for wanting me to be with a seventeen-year-old, and then I didn’t feel that way towards Syrin. She had been a quiet, small girl who was dwarfed by the shadow of her family. She was the youngest of five and was always drowned out by the personalities of everyone else in the room. It wasn’t until I had killed Atlan that I learned the truth and my view of Syrin changed dramatically. And it wasn’t until she stepped foot into my study when my feelings changed too.

          “You’ve got the big doe eyes going again,” Dominic snickered.

          “Shut up,” I huffed, tearing my eyes from the door she disappeared through.

          “You warmed up to the Shark Tooth route real quick.”

_“Shut. Up.”_ I growled, but my bite was lost on Dominic.

          “Say it,” Dom ordered.

          “Say what?” I retorted even though I knew what he wanted to hear.

          “That you’re head over heels for the feisty shark lady,” Dominic teased, grinning more as I scowled at his wording. “She almost started a bar fight because some guy decided it was a good idea to treat her like a trophy and say that you got really lucky by catching her.”

          I felt my body stiffen as a wave of anger washed over me, then embarrassment as Dom started to chuckle.

          “Say it,” he hissed.

          “I have a crush on the Princess,” I whispered.

          “No,” Dom cooed. “You and I both know you don’t like calling her Princess, and we both know it’s more than a crush. You had a crush on Felicity Hawkins when we were ten and you had a crush on Jasmine Fetlana when we were seventeen, but you didn’t get that look in your eyes every time they opened their mouths. Try again.”

          “What do you want me to say?” I huffed, spinning to poke him in the chest. “What do you want to hear, huh? Do you want to hear how beautiful I think she is? How she damn near knocked me on my ass when she walked into my study unannounced?”

          “You’ve seen stunning women before,” Dom smirked. “I’ve seen you check out the Angalus sisters and they’re practically goddesses.”

          “Yes, but they’re vain women who only care for people who dote on them. I talked to Tiffany once, tried to see if there was more behind those big brown eyes, the answer is no. There is nothing. They wouldn’t know their left from their right if it wasn’t for the rings they always wear on the same hands.”

          I hung my head and rubbed my temples as Dom’s light chuckles got heavier.

          “I’m not going to say that I love Syrin,” I said softly, waving my hand at his challenging expression. “I’m not. I’m infatuated, maybe. She’s beautiful and strong and passionate all while still retaining the free spirit that I remember her having. I want it to be more, but the fact of the matter is that Atlan ruined her opinion of me. Even if I hadn’t scared the living shit out of her that night, Atlan spent the next five years using me like parents use the boogeyman. She laughs and smiles and _fuck Dominic it’s incredible,_ but I can see it in the way she flinches when I move to quickly or raise my voice suddenly. She’s still scared of me.”

          I felt my heart sinking, free falling almost, as I thought of the way she had winced one of the first times she startled a laugh out of me.

          “She didn’t get that look when you snapped at Lord Feing,” Dom sighed as my shoulders slumped. “I was a little surprised, I expected her to react to an outburst like that, but she just stopped and watched. She didn’t look afraid. If anything, _she looked a little grateful.”_

          “Head over heels or not, she’s still a family friend and she deserves the same amount of respect as I do,” I sighed. “She’s been through enough of older men who think they’re better than her trying to manipulate her to following their wishes, I’m not going to add to it and I’m sure as hell not going to let anyone do it to her ever again.”

          “You said it,” Dominic said through a smug grin. “You said you’re head over heels.”

_“… Shut up, Dominic.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are about to get short and really sweet ;3


	5. Chapter 5

          I smiled down at Ryan who was laying on his desk surrounded by invoices and letters and the fire burned low and barely chased the darkness away. He snored softly into his folded arms and I hesitated to wake him. I was back from my journey to teach his sea captains how to navigate the straight, and I needed to tell him how everything had gone, but he looked so sweet it felt like I would be committing treason if I disturbed him.

          It had been four long days at sea, and I found myself missing Ryan’s company. It was nice to be treated as a commander and not a guest, but I also missed being able to joke around with someone. The crew was a little too official for my taste. Too many “Yes ma’am”s and salutes, not enough eye rolls and teasing. Arin’s return to Ravenfall had been delayed and he wouldn’t be arriving until the night before the party, so I was tasked with teaching Ryan’s navy how to navigate the straight on my own. I was nervous, but I think I did everything I could.

          I reached out to nudge the sleeping King’s shoulder, but I hesitated as he grumbled in his sleep and seemed to shy away from my hand. I held my hand to my cheek, glad I thought to check on how cold I was before I put my chilled hand on him. I wandered to the low fire and warmed my fingers, stopping just before the point I knew I would dry out at.

          Again, I reached out but instead of waking him I pushed a bit of hair behind his ear. The Mad King sank a little further into the desk and a soft sigh interrupted his snores. I could feel a rush of heat on my face as he tried to nuzzle into my hand and I found myself running my fingers along his cheek.

          Ever since the naval meeting, I had stopped seeing the monster I had feared so much. His eyes weren’t anything but caring and passionate, his size and demeanor no longer intimidated me, and I even started to get physical with him. I playfully pushed and nudged him like I would any of my family or crew. I gently bit my lip as I watched him sleep.

          My heart was in my throat as a dozen different thoughts crossed my mind, all of them affectionate and all of them a little startling. I gently pulled my hand away, running my knuckles along his jaw and nearly falling over from the way his face pinched at the loss of my touch.

          When I left on my training mission, I noticed the odd gap in my heart but thought nothing of it. It was probably just nerves from being in charge on my own. Now I was standing here, tired in the dead of night, and that gap throbbed from a dull ache that was only soothed when a brief image of falling asleep next to him passed my mind’s eye. I’d had crushes before, a few lovers as well, but it had been a long time since any of them had occupied my time and none of them triggered this response. I never felt content watching them sleep. I never felt their absence the way I felt Ryan’s.

          I gently pushed his shoulder, keeping myself from getting lost in this train of thought and having to face the conclusion I knew was on the other end. He hummed and groaned, yawning before sleepily lifting his head and slowly opening his eyes. An unadulterated smile spread across his face and the flutter in my stomach was enough to make my skin prickle. It quickly subsided as he regained his wits and he stiffly sat up groaning along with the chair as he sat up.

          “You’re late,” he croaked before clearing the sleep from his throat. “I was starting to get worried.”

          “What?” I smiled, sitting on the corner of his desk. “Afraid I had taken off with half your navy to start a military trained group of pirates?”

          “Well, I can’t very well worry that you’ll drown,” he smirked, eyes only half open as he sighed.

          “Were you trying to stay up until I came back?” I teased, looking at all the paperwork. “Because you never deal with business after the sun goes down.”

          “I might have,” he muttered, turning to try and hide his blush.

          “Your concern is touching,” I smiled, reaching out to pinch his cheek.

          “That’s the last time I’ll do it,” he huffed as he swatted away my hand. “How did everything go? I’m assuming there were no shipwrecks.”

          “None Sir,” I said, giving him a lazy salute and grinning as his eyes rolled. “Your officers could use a few lessons in fun and a refresher course on sarcasm, but the important lessons went well. I’m still a little nervous about their safety, but I think they’re as good as they can be without me or Arin taking them through ourselves.”

          “Good,” Ryan said through a big yawn. “That’s one less thing I have to worry so much about.”

          “Yeah, now you can worry about throwing one hell of a birthday party.”

          I snickered as he groaned and rubbed his face.

          “I know my birthday is a big deal,” Ryan sighed. “The other kingdoms come in and it’s a big party, but it takes so much out of me. I can’t tell you the last time I had a quiet birthday dinner with anyone but Dom.”

          “Why throw a party if you want a night in?” I laughed.

          “Because the people love it,” he smiled. “It’s a bright moment right before winter kicks in and it brings everyone together.”

          I couldn’t help but smile with him as he stood and stretched, his hair standing out in all directions even after he ran a hand through it. He walked around me, gently patting my leg as he grabbed a pitcher from a nearby table.

          “But I’ve thought about that party enough for today. Let’s go to bed.” he huffed as he approached the fireplace.

          The mostly dead fire went out with a pitiful hiss as Ryan poured water over it, the room finally being plunged into darkness. The moon tried to shine through the clouds outside, but it did little to help and I squeezed my eyes shut to speed up their transition. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a warm hand on my waist forced me to open them again. Ryan chuckled, his eyes somehow managing to glow in the dim light and I didn’t have to see him clearly to know he was smirking at me. The hand on my waist gently tugged me off the desk before slipping to the small of my back to guide me to the door.

          “I thought tritons were supposed to have better night vision than humans,” he whispered in my ear, making me suck in air and causing him to chuckle more.

          I made an indignant huff to mask another gasp as his low laugh sent a chill down my spine. That chill didn’t last long and for the first time this winter, I felt _very_ warm.


	6. Chapter 6

          I collapsed into the bed the moment I laid eyes on it, it didn’t matter that it wasn’t my own.

          “You offered to help,” Ryan chided as he tossed his cloak on top of me.

          “I wasn’t anticipating getting so cold while working,” I continued to complain as I curled up under the warm wool, ignoring the way the mattress dipped beside me and how that made me feel like I was going to float away.

          “Your mother never had this problem and she was here most of last winter.”

          The cloak by my face lifted and I squinted at the sudden light, pulling it back shut when I saw Ryan smiling back at me.

          “Mom’s system regulates better,” I said, knowing he was smiling at how muffled I was. “Arin and I inherited Dad’s poor heating.”

          “What are you going to do when winter really hits?” Ryan sighed.

          “I’ll probably just sleep in the pool,” I giggled.

          “Or you could go with your brother after my birthday.”

          The suggestion weighed on me and in an instant, my mind was racing. _Was he tired of me? Of course he was. No one wanted a loud and strong-willed woman. He wants me gone so he can have some peace and quiet._

          I sighed and shut out the voice. My feelings for Ryan had sucker punched me, but I couldn’t say I didn’t want them. I liked the way he could so effortlessly make me smile and how I felt safe around him, but I didn’t like the anxiety that came with it. I was constantly afraid I was being “too much”. I wanted him to like me, and after years of Atlan degrading me and making me feel worthless I was having troubles seeing why he would.

          “I like having you around Sy,” Ryan continued as he laid down beside me. “You’ve been a welcome change, but I would rather the castle be boring again than have you freeze to death or be confined to the pool to keep you warm.”

          I tensed as his hand slipped under the cloak and gently held onto my forearm. The affection was enough to make me want to cry. He was so warm and he was right there. I could just close the gap and lay against his side, and I felt my body ache to do so. Ryan sighed heavily as he squeezed my arm.

          “You’re so cold,” he said, almost to himself.

          Arin would have been coy and flirty. Arin would have outright said “Then why don’t you warm me up?” with that trademark smirk of his and fire in his eyes. I had seen Arin operate. But I wasn’t as bold or brave as Arin. Arin was so much better than me-

          I pursed my lips and stopped that train of thought. It had been years since Atlan had last tormented me, but his influence still lingered. I wasn’t Arin. I was Syrin. I didn’t live in Arin’s shadow.

          I gently took Ryan’s hand off my arm and scooted over so that I was laying in the crook of his arm. I felt him tense up as I moved and I could feel him shudder as I laid my cold body against his, but after I had settled he sighed and relaxed. I peeked out from under the cloak and felt my cheeks flush as I locked eyes with Ryan. His cheeks were rosy, and not from the few hours of setting up that we had just done. I swallowed hard as his arm curled up to hold my shoulders and pull me closer to him.

          “I can feel how cold you are through all your layers,” he sighed but made no attempt to let go of me.

          “It’s not keeping me confined if I want to be here,” I said softly, my confidence leaving me the moment the words started to leave my lips.

          His eyes softened and the corner of his mouth twitched into a brief smile. I tried to hide my face and my blush, but I only succeeded in burying my nose into his side. I could _feel_ my pupils dilate as I inadvertently nuzzled him and took in a deep breath. I closed my eyes before he could see the effect he had on me.

 

*~Ryan’s POV~*

          This was how I died. My heart was beating so quickly I was amazed that Sy didn’t hear it, or it didn’t just explode. She was cold, yes, _but she was laying on me._ Her teal cheeks darkened as she blushed and I caught a brief glimpse of her pupils dilating and her gills frilling before she buried her face into my side. I choked back a whimper as my skin exploded with heat. My mind raced with ideas but I was too caught up in the moment to act on them. Instead of pulling the cloak over myself and holding her or kissing the top of her head, I froze as if reacting to her sudden affection would chase her off like a wild animal.

          I was contemplating how long I could lay there like that before my body shut down from disuse when her words wiggled through my love drunk haze.

          “Do,” I hesitated, suddenly afraid of her answer. “Do you want to stay?”

          Her deep blue eyes peered up at me as they searched my face for her answer and I found myself tightening my hold on her. She smiled softly as I pulled her closer, forcing her to shift so that her head was now on my chest. I never wanted her to leave. I never wanted her to leave my side. I wanted to lay here in my bed with her forever.

          “I do want to stay,” Sy said softly, making my head spin.

          The teasing from Dom had been nonstop. The day Syrin left, I realized this was more than simple affectionate feelings. Dom picked up on this instantly and it never seemed to end. If he were here now and could see the way my eyes glazed over when she said she wanted to stay with me despite the cold, he would probably keel over from laughing.

          “Well,” I breathed. “If you want to stay, then I guess you can. I enjoy your company.”

          “I enjoy yours too.”

          She disappeared back underneath the cloak and I let my eyes close as she curled her hand against my chest. I loved her. I had seen the way mom and dad looked at each other. I vaguely remembered the way Anita and Hardin looked at each other. The way I felt was the way they looked. Like the whole world could be crashing around them but nothing else mattered.

          The castle had always been empty to me. It wasn’t the same without mom, dad, and Theo. Everything was too quiet, too cold, too unwelcoming. Anita was a welcome change. It was nice to have someone who knew me before that night but didn’t coddle me. I had been lukewarm to Syrin because I had read the things Atlan had done to her.

          Tried to pawn her off to nobility for favor, and when that didn’t work he just tormented her. Taught her that she was nothing but a pretty bride. A princess to be traded. A prize to be won. I knew she would walk into this proposition ready to fight for her freedom, and I had been more than willing to give it to her. She deserved to be free after years of being confined to Atlan’s flagship.

          I never imagined the woman that would walk through my study door. I never thought someone so small and afraid could become the woman who stared me in the eyes and told me she used to see me as a monster. I figured the stories of her and Arin were just that. Stories.

_I loved her._ She caught me off guard and in the few months she had been here, a new life had been breathed into the castle. Nothing was too quiet, everything was brighter and even when she was nearby, I never felt cold.

          “I love you.”

          It was a soft whisper that surprised me, but the words felt right as they fell from my lips. She snored softly into my side, but I wasn’t upset she didn’t hear me. I was tired and sore, but I couldn’t find it in me to move. I started to drift off, knowing that I was going to be even sorer from sleeping in my clothes with my legs hanging off the bed, but I didn’t stop it. I rolled onto my side, keeping Sy perfectly wrapped up in my arms and cloak. She murmured in her sleep as she buried her face in my chest, and I felt my entire body become fuzzy with happiness.

          I had fallen in love with Princess Syrin of Farreef, and I could practically see my mother’s smug, knowing smirk. Syrin _was_ a handful, but she was a handful I was more than willing to deal with.


	7. Chapter 7

          I took in a deep breath, sighing as I lifted the spoon to my lips and slowly kicked my legs. The cook would have a fit if she knew I was in the kitchen unsupervised, but I was hungry and after waking up the way I did earlier, I needed something sweet to tide me off.

          My stomach fluttered and my skin flushed as the phantom sensation of Ryan’s hands made me bristle with delight. The raw cookie dough seemed to lose its flavor a bit as my nose wrinkled and my feet lightly kicked the cabinet I was sitting on.

          I had fallen asleep with my head on Ryan’s chest, but I woke up to his arms wrapped around me, his nose buried in my hair and one hand had worked its way under my shirt. I could practically feel his fingers twitching in his sleep and I felt my skin crawl again. His hand was so warm against the small of my back and I hated waking him up, but it was the only way I could move.

          I smiled as I ate another spoonful, vividly remembering the way his eyes widened and how Ryan blushed so hard he matched his kilt. He was stammering his way through an apology when he was saved by Dom, who looked bewildered by the speed at which the Mad King ran to help finish setting up for the party. I had tried to go to bed, but my mind was racing and I needed to turn my energies elsewhere. It was well past midnight and I was alone, sitting on the counter in the kitchen, eating cookie dough, and daydreaming about the King. It was probably the most princessy thing I had done in years.

          I was lost in thought when the door opened suddenly and I froze, the promise to clean up after myself on my tongue before I realized it wasn’t the cook.

          Ryan’s eyebrow slowly crept up as I stared back at him, spoon in my mouth and bowl clutched to my chest.

          “I’ll share if you don’t tell,” I murmured.

          Ryan checked the hallway before slipping into the room and closing the door behind him, grabbing a spoon on his way over.

          “This can make you sick you know,” he said firmly while taking a spoonful.

          “I made it without eggs,” I said with an eye roll.

          “It’s not the eggs that make you sick,” he countered.

          “What are you even doing here?” I asked.

          “I was going to grab a snack before going to bed,” he sighed. “I’m probably not going to have much time to eat before the party.”

          “What a tragedy.”

          We chuckled before falling into silence and enjoying our treat. I still held the bowl so it was hard for me to think of anything except the fact that Ryan was standing right in front of me and I could _easily_ wrap my legs around his waist from my position.

          The cook would really want to kill me then.

          I was in the middle of shoving such lewd thoughts to the back of my mind to be revisited once I was in my room when Ryan cleared his throat. I glanced at him and I could see his blush even in the dark.

          “I’m sorry about earlier,” he whispered, eyeing his next bite. “It… I… I’ve gotten very comfortable around you but that was inappropriate.”

          “It’s okay Ryan,” I snickered. “It was nice to wake up warm like that, even if I couldn’t move.”

          “I’m so sorry,” he whimpered, smiling even as he hung his head.

          I laughed a little more at his expense as I went in for more cookie, but frowned when I hit an empty bowl. I looked up and saw that Ryan had the last bit of cookie dough on his spoon. I acted on the thought the moment it fully formed in my mind and leaned forward, taking his spoon in my mouth. Between his failed attempt to pull away and my failing attempt to keep myself from grinning from ear to ear, I could feel bits of dough on the corner of my mouth as he stared at me with a shocked smile.

          “That’ll make up for it,” I giggled, trying to lick the sweets from my lips.

          “You missed,” he huffed.

          I was about to try again when his hand gently grabbed my chin. I squeaked and froze thinking he was just going to wipe it away, but I felt my soul leave my body when I locked eyes with Ryan. His bright blue eyes were dark and hooded, his expression the exact same desire I had been imagining earlier. His eyes flicked to my lips as his hand tilted my head. An embarrassingly small whimper left my throat as my eyes fluttered. He swallowed hard before leaning in hesitantly.

          I twitched and I could barely hear my nails digging into the bowl over my racing heart. His breath ghosted across my lips and I got light headed as Ryan carefully closed his lips around the corner of my mouth, the tip of his tongue grazing my skin as he picked up the dough that I had missed. My own lips parted and I gasped for air as I shuddered. Ryan pulled away suddenly, probably thinking I was upset, but his eyes twinkled as I chased after his warmth.

          We froze there, noses together and lips hardly an inch apart, as we both took in this feeling. I could see it swirling in his eyes, the same feeling that was making my hands set aside my dishes so they could lay flat against his chest. The same feeling that made his breath hitch and made a low whine emanate from beneath my hands. The want was so strong, we nearly smashed our noses in our haste to close the gap.

          My body shook as he tilted his head and cupped my cheek to deepen the kiss. My hands slid up his chest and across his shoulders wanting to tangle my fingers in his hair but instead, I pulled away as he shivered when my cold fingers touched the nape of his neck.

          “Sorry,” I breathed.

          “It’s okay,” he practically purred.

          Ryan gently nudged my elbow with his free hand to encourage me to continue before letting it follow the curves of my body to my hip. He pulled me to the edge of the counter and stepped forward, his hand trailing along my thigh and pulling my leg to wrap around his waist. I whimpered and his smirk was absolutely _sinful_ before he left a trail of featherlight kisses to my ear.

          “I can keep you warm,” he whispered.

          He shuddered as my hand reflexively clenched around the collar of his cloak, pulling him closer and letting me feel his chuckle resonate through his chest and into mine. He started lining my cheek with kisses and nipping at my jaw, getting a little rougher every time I whimpered or whined. The hand on my thigh crept upwards to help his other hand unbutton my coat. He loosened the bottom two before pushing his way past the heavy wool and gently playing with the hem of my shirt. I hissed at the sudden warmth of his fingertips against my skin and the feeling of his teeth on the junction of my jaw made me moan as my head fell backward.

          His name fell from my lips a little louder than I would have wanted, but every touch was like fire and I was having trouble finding a part of me to care. It was well into the night and I knew people were likely to hear us, but I needed to hear him so I drug my nails along his chest. My eyes rolled back as a breathy moan heated my throat where Ryan had begun nibbling. I felt his hands slide further up my shirt as he started panting and leaving sloppy kisses on any bit of exposed skin he could find. I carded my fingers through his hair and pulled him away from his ministrations, smiling at the low growl it elicited from him. His eyes were half open but I could still see his eyes dilate when he tried to lean forward to kiss me and pulled his hair as I held him firmly.

          “Fuck. You’re amazing Sy,” Ryan breathed, continuing to pull his own hair as he desperately tried to kiss me.

          I let go of his hair and moaned with him as we came together again, lips and teeth desperately reaching for the other. I felt heat explode through me as he continued to grasp at me, to hold me as closely as possible and feel as much of me as possible. I clung to him and his words just as tightly.

_Amazing. I was amazing._


	8. Chapter 8

          I blushed as I looked at myself in the mirror, gently patting my clothes as if that was enough to get rid of the imaginary wrinkles that my mind told me were there. I had pulled out my very best outfit for Ryan’s birthday but I was still worried that it wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t wear my sea silk dress or I would freeze to death even in the well lit and crowded hall, but even my black wool coat that only came out when visiting royalty felt too informal. I turned in the mirror again, assuring that I wasn’t covered in sand or holes.

          I let out a deep sigh before collapsing into a nearby chair. I had been left alone all day while Ryan oversaw the last bits of preparation and Arin slept after coming in very early this morning, and with everything that happened last night, my mind hadn’t stopped running. I’m not sure how long Ryan and I were in the kitchen making out, but I do know we took off like thieves when we heard the cook talking to a servant down the hall. I smiled, thinking of the few gentle kisses he gave me after agreeing that we should try to keep “Us” a secret until the party. The heat of passion was gone but the warmth I felt as he held me and said goodnight brought tears to my eyes.

          I gently brushed away the tears and laughed quietly to myself. I had never been so absolutely taken by someone, and I honestly couldn’t find it in me to try and slow it down. It had been years since I felt this happy.

          There was a soft knock on the door and I smiled as Dom entered.

          “Funny way to go to a party,” he teased. “Getting all dressed up and staying in your room is unconventional, but I’ve done it before.”

          “Just a little nervous,” I sighed as I stood. “This is the first time I’ve met most of these nobles.”

          “Afraid they won’t accept you, your majesty?” Dom smirked, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

          “He told you,” I huffed.

_“Of course he told me,”_ Dominic giggled. “He was practically glowing this morning and it only took a little prodding to get it out of him. He did say he was going to get a snack when we split up last night.”

          I punched Dom’s shoulder as he gave me an exaggerated wink.

          “Such a gentleman,” Dom continued to tease. “Deciding to sleep in separate rooms even after you _soiled_ the kitchen counter.”

          “We didn’t have sex!” I hissed as my face exploded with heat.

          “I know you didn’t,” Dom laughed. “Ryan may be eager to love on you, but he’s going to take it slowly. He gonna savor you as much as possible.”

          I felt my face heat up as a response eluded me. I remembered the gentle touches in the hallway outside our rooms and the way he hummed as he nuzzled my cheek. I was shocked out of my memory when Dom gently grabbed my shoulder, the softest smile I had ever seen lighting up his face.

          “This is the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time,” Dom said softly. “If you’re worried about making a good impression on the nobles so that they don’t try to drive you out of Ravenfall, don’t be. Since you’ve been stuck in here because of the cold, I’ve been free to wander on my own and you’re effect on the King hasn’t gone unnoticed. They trust Ryan, and you make him happy. That’s all that matters to them.”

          “No bickering over him not choosing one of their daughters?” I asked, knowing how cutthroat some of the triton families could get.

          “No,” Dom smiled. “It’s never been quite that bad. The happiness of the royals is at a higher priority than trying to get in on the family. Especially because Ryan was never meant to be King. They would rather he be happy on the throne than to add a bit more misery to it.”

          “And you look fine, so stop worrying that you’re not dressed up enough,” he said, smiling as I rolled my eyes. “But that does lead me to a question I’ve had for a bit now.”

          “Oh?” I hummed.

          “Is your brother single?”

          I just stared at Dom, struggling to hide my smile behind a look of disappointed disbelief.

          “I got to know him a bit when he was here initially with your family,” Dom said quickly, showing a bit of panic for the first time since I’d known him. “And I spent a lot of time with him last night after he docked and got the rest of your family settled for the night and I think we really hit it off an-”

          “Wait,” I said, silencing him with a hand. “The rest of the family is here?”

          “Yep,” Dom grinned. “In-laws and all.”

          “Shit,” I hissed.

          “You thought you were only going to have to tell Arin,” Dom chuckled.

          “I figured everyone else would stay south where it’s warm!” I snapped. “Now I get to deal with the whole fucking family cooing over me. Damn it!”

          I started to shrink and pout, which only made Dom laugh more.

          “Your mother is going to lose her mind,” he teased.

          “I know,” I huffed. “Great. I get to be embarrassed in front of everyone while my mother is in tears because her baby girl is dating a King.”

          “I may not be royalty, _but,”_ Dom paused to ensure he had my attention. “I am willing to hit on your brother to take some of the attention off of you.”

          “He’s going to punch you if he’s not interested,” I said.

          “And if he is?”

          “You’ll have your hands full,” I smirked. “He gets very handsy very fast.”

          “Good,” Dom hummed, his eyes going dark and lustful.

          “And here I was thinking Ryan and I were rushing into this,” I snickered.

          “As someone who has witnessed you two fall in love with each other, I can safely say that the mutual pining has been absolutely unbearable for the last month and there is no such thing as rushing at this point. It’s just catching up.”

          “You knew??”

          “Yes I knew,” he laughed. “You two are masters at only having a poker face when the other is looking.”

          “And you let us pine,” I huffed.

          “It was cute for a while,” he shrugged. “When it got painful, I started pushing you two to open up.”

          I opened my mouth to say something, but there was no proper response to that so I just shook my head.

          “Come on,” he smiled. “The party is about to start and everyone is already in the main hall.”

          I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, shaking myself free of nerves before stepping past Dom.


	9. Chapter 9

          I had been hoping that Dominic was joking when he said the whole family was here, but the table full of Farreef royalty was hard to ignore. There was enough gold and silver to fund a small kingdom and my mother’s laughter rang like a bell even though the crowded hall. That being said, having the whole family in one place was refreshing and even Arin, who had only just arrived at sunrise, was bright and cheerful. We were bundled up against the winter wind, but our cheeks were flushed and hearts warm. I could feel the humans staring at us, but I couldn’t care less.

          I was sitting back in my chair and enjoying the sound of Viera and Calliope arguing over something trivial when I felt an odd tingle on my cheek. I turned my head and met Ryan’s eyes from across the room where he was seated at the head table. He smiled sweetly and gently tipped his drink towards me. I smiled and held up my own glass in response.

          “I was so caught up in being a family again, I almost forgot the main reason we’re all here,” Arin said loud enough to stop the conversation at our table but not attract anyone else’s attention, his eyes fixed on me and a wicked smirk on his lips.

          “That’s right!” Viera grinned as I blushed and looked at my empty plate. “Our dearest little sister has been here attempting to woo the King.”

          I grumbled as everyone leaned in.

          “Leave her alone,” Mom said softly as she reached across the table to take my hand. “She isn’t here to woo Ryan. She’s here because she wants to. How’s your relationship with King Ryan? Are you getting along?”

          “It’s good,” I murmured. “We’ve certainly gotten very close. I… I want to stay for the rest of the winter.”

          “Are you serious?” Arin asked, his smile surprised but still warm as I nodded. “Then I guess I’ll have the last of your things offloaded after the party so you can survive the worst of the cold.”

          “I’ll be fine,” I smiled into my cup. “There are heated pools on the lower level.”

          “You can’t sleep in the pools the whole winter,” Cameron said with a quirked silver eyebrow, purple eyes shimmering in the firelight.

          “I’ve made it this far,” I giggled.

          “You’re hiding something,” Arin said suspiciously. “I’ve been waiting for you to give me proof but I can still tell. I know you. You’re _very_ warm and happy right now, even if you are getting comfortable here.”

          “I am getting very comfortable,” I muttered, grinning as everyone leaned in to hear me over the din of the crowd.

          But before I could get the nerve to say just how close Ryan and I had gotten, the man in question stood from his chair and commanded the attention of the room. He took a deep breath in preparation to speak but instead, his cheeks turned rosy and he had to look away as he tried to wipe a smile from his face. I raised an eyebrow as Dominic’s low chuckle filled the silence and he stood.

          “And now for the main event,” Dom announced as Ryan straightened his jacket. “The King’s birthday dance!”

          “What?” Arin chuckled under his breath.

          “It’s a tradition Dom started shortly after Ryan took the throne,” I explained. “Dom wanted to see Ryan smile more, so he arranged a dance with a pretty noblewoman to at least get him blushing. It’s been the centerpiece for the night ever since. Every year Dom picks someone for Ryan to dance with unless Ryan has someone already picked out.”

          “Last year was cute,” Mom chuckled. “I think the poor girl was more flustered than Ryan, and he kissed her cheek instead of her lips as usual.”

          “What?” I asked, my head snapping to Mom.

          “The dance usually ends with a kiss,” Mom nodded, her eyebrow raising with everyone else’s. “Why?”

          My mouth hung open but before I could formulate a response, there was a cough beside me. The table sucked in a collective breath as I looked up at Ryan, who was standing beside me and looking at me with a softness that made my heart flutter. He held out his hand to me as the room gasped, just as surprised as my family that he was asking me to dance. I felt my cheeks warm as I gently placed my hand in his, casting a nervous glance at my stunned family. The only one who wasn’t still entirely shocked was Arin, and I watched as his surprise faded into a happy smile. His eyes watered a bit and I knew exactly why.

          Arin and I had been through so much together. Kidnapping, torture, almost killed numerous times, all _before_ becoming pirates. We had gotten so used to relying on one another entirely that opening up to the crew took a long time. We were used to betrayal and kept ourselves closed off to everyone but each other prevent getting hurt. I hadn’t said anything to my brother, but surely it was showing on my face as Ryan led me to the center of the floor because I was definitely feeling it as Ryan pulled me close and held my hand in one of his and my hip in the other. His eyes were soft and I could feel his warm breath as he sighed, the music starting up and I was guided into a slow, swaying dance.

          Ever since Dad died, I had felt lost. I was always second to Arin if not everyone else as well. I wasn’t as confident as our sisters, or as suave and savvy as Arin. I was small and weak and Atlan made sure to remind me and keep me down. After his death, by Ryan’s sword no less, I continued to feel like I didn’t have somewhere to call my own. Like I didn’t fit in. Like I was just taking up space.

          Ryan’s hands were warm and the rest of the hall disappeared behind the music and his presence. His eyes didn’t leave mine and I found myself moving closer to him.

          “Cold?” Ryan whispered, sounding breathless as he pressed his forehead to mine.

          “No,” I whispered back. “I’m perfect.”

          I closed my eyes and lost myself to the feeling of him being so close to me. I felt his thumb idly rubbing my hip, the gentle squeeze of my hand to help lead me through the dance, and the serenity that washed over me despite my nervousness to make our relationship public. Maybe we were rushing. Maybe we weren’t meant to be together like this and we would realize we were just meant to be close friends. But in the center of the ballroom, held to his chest, both of us completely lost in our moment together, I knew one thing for sure.

          I had found where I belonged.

          The music swelled and I didn’t have to be familiar with the song to know it was coming to an end. I slowly opened my eyes and gave him a stern look.

          “You didn’t mention that a kiss would be involved when you told me about this last night,” I muttered.

          “Sorry,” Ryan chuckled, his breath warming my lips. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

          I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the way his smile made my heart feel like it was going to float out of my chest. The music entered it’s last few bars and I felt Ryan tense up a bit, some anxiety drifting through his eyes before going back to pure happiness. He tilted his head just enough to nuzzle my nose before hesitantly closing the gap.

          There was sharp hiss as several people sucked in a gasp, and a distinct gleeful whine came from my family’s table. Ryan pulled away as the final note was held out, but I leaned in for more and he gladly gave me what I wanted. The hand on my hip slid to the small of my back as we stole a few soft kisses while the room broke out into cheers. My entire face felt like it was on fire, but I was grinning from ear to ear when we finally separated.

          I glanced at my family and immediately looked away as I saw tears in their eyes. I turned my head into Ryan’s shoulder and he happily kissed the top of my head as he chuckled.

          “Thank you,” Ryan whispered into my hair.

          “For what?” I asked, stifling my own tears as I was overcome with emotion.

          “For giving me a chance.”

          A sob shook my body and we held each other even tighter and the room was roaring with applause.

          “Thank you for making me feel like I’m more than a princess.”

          “You’ve never been just a princess. You’ve always been Syrin. You’ve always been incredible.”

          He gasped and stumbled backward as I crashed my lips into his, the salt of my tears melding with his as he laughed and shook the tension away with a shuddering breath. His arms locked around me and he picked me up and spun me around, garnering more cheers and I heard chairs slide back and heels clicking on the floor as my family finally got up to hug us.

          Maybe we were rushing, but as I was swarmed with hugs and kisses from family and laughed as Ryan was given the same treatment I knew I wouldn’t change a thing.


	10. Chapter 10

          I could hear the last of the party-goers as they exited the castle, all of them singing and laughing into the wind. I stepped back into the study where I had been hiding for the last hour or so after the congratulations became too much for me even with Ryan at my side. I was used to being the center of attention, but this was something else. I wasn’t used to being bombarded by bright-eyed nobles who were already planning on what they were wearing to the wedding. A wedding that Ryan and I assured them wasn’t in the making yet. We were going to at least court for the rest of the winter, but we were planning on waiting to see how we felt once summer came.

          All of that was agreed upon on the spot, and while Ryan was used to that fast-paced diplomacy, I hadn’t been proper royalty for a very long time. So, I hid in the study until I could calm down but it appeared that the party was ending anyway. I was just about to leave when a gentle knock echoed off the walls and the door cracked open.

          I couldn’t help but smile as Ryan crossed the room and wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face into his neck as he gently kissed my head and squeezed me once before speaking.

          “I’m sorry that they overwhelmed you. I wasn’t anticipating everyone to be so… forward.”

          “It’s okay,” I sighed. “I’ll get used to it.”

          We were quiet for a long time, enjoying our first moment truly alone since the kitchen. His hands wandered and gently rubbed my body while I pressed soft kisses to his cheek and jaw. I was looking forward to the end of the chaos of party planning so that we could have more moments like this. He would still be busy, but at least he’d be able to take some time at the end of the day and relax rather than go straight to bed.

          “You don’t have to,” Ryan said eventually, tension entering his muscles.

          “What?” I asked, brows furrowing as I saw the almost sad look in his eyes.

          “After you left, Arin and I were talking and,” Ryan paused and looked away from me. “He talked about all the adventures you had been on and how he would miss having you on the ship and… Syrin. I love you, but I could never keep you here.”

          I blinked as many emotions swam through my mind, and a few remnant negative voices spoke up.

_He doesn’t want you here. You’re just a quick fling. He doesn’t really lov-_

          “I would love nothing more than to have you in Ravenfall,” Ryan continued, tears welling in his eyes. “But I could never force you to stay here. I love you and I want you by my side, but Syrin… If spring comes and you want to go back out, I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay. I… You’ve been amazing for the past few months. You’ve made me happier than I’ve been in a very long time, but I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror if you stuck around _just_ to make my day a bit brighter. You deserve freedom and I don’t want to guilt you into staying. I…”

          I pulled Ryan into a kiss before he could ramble into another spiral. I could see the very real worry in his eyes and it tugged on my heart as he clung to me as if I was going to leave tonight. He had never talked about it explicitly, but I had seen the way he acted and heard the stories from Dominic and some of the servants.

          Ryan was afraid of being alone. In one night he had lost his entire family and was forced into a very hard and lonely position. Sure, he had Dominic, but for the first time in almost a decade, he had something close to a family. He looked at me and he saw a castle full of laughter again.

          But I could see the desperate look in his eyes when I pulled away. He loved me. He wanted me here. But that wasn’t worth keeping me cooped up. He knew how much my freedom meant to me, and he would rather have the castle quiet again than to make me feel trapped here. His fingers dug into my side as he clung to me, desperately seeking as much time with me as he could and I wondered if he knew how conflicting he was being. Holding onto me so desperately but saying that I was free to go. And then it hit me.

          I had always wished I had hugged Dad more. Told him I loved him a few more times. Spent more time with him before he got sick. When I was trapped by Atlan, I wished the same things for the rest of my family. Ryan had mentioned a few times that he wished he had spent more time with his family. Told them how much he loved and appreciated them. Ryan wasn’t guilting me into staying, not consciously anyway, he was just trying to get in a few more “I love you”s before I slipped away. Because there was no guarantee that I would come back and that was the way it seemed to work for us. Everything we loved was ripped away from us and we were left shattered and alone.

          “I love you too,” I whispered as I rubbed his cheeks with my thumbs, tears of my own falling as he leaned into my touch. “And you’re right. You could never keep me here. I’m staying because I want to. Because I love you and for the first time in a very long time I feel at home somewhere.”

          The way Ryan’s smile spread across his face made me grin and the tension left his body as I peppered his face with kisses.

          “And If I have to, I’ll remind you of that every night,” I teased before gently tapping his nose. “Because you can’t get rid of me. I’m _your_ problem now.”

          My giggle was cut off by a kiss, this one far more passionate than our previous ones and I felt heat spread through my body. His needy hands became a little firmer and I was gently walked backward until I was pushed against the desk.

          “I’m beginning to see a trend,” I chuckled as he lifted me to sit on the desktop and moved to kiss my jaw.

          “It frees up my hands and I can get to more of you,” Ryan hummed in my ear as his hands trailed along my thighs. “That and I just really like the way it feels.”

          “Oh yeah? You like this?” I asked as I locked my legs around him, pulling him into the desk hard enough to rattle something in the drawers.

          “I love it,” he hissed before kissing down to my collarbone.

          I bit my lip as his hands worked under my coat and shirt and my eyes started to flutter shut when the door opened. There was a loud, embarrassed squeak and Ryan stepped away so fast that he nearly pulled me off the desk. I started howling with laughter as Ryan turned bright red and the door slowly crept open, revealing my heavily blushing mother and Arin’s smug grin as he pushed on the door so that everyone in my family could see.

          “You did that on purpose Arin!” my mother shouted over my laughter. “You heard them and told me to go in first!”

          Ryan was on the floor now, his head against the wooden desk and I was sliding to sit next to him, laughing so hard I couldn’t stand.

          “No,” Arin corrected. “Dom mentioned that I should be careful when entering the study because he had seen Ryan slink off in this direction the moment he was able.”

          “You still knew!”

          “I suspected.”

          “I hate you Arin,” I choked out as Ryan groaned. “Can’t I have a few moments alone with Ryan? He’s been busy.”

          “Why?” Arin grinned. “He’s _clearly_ been busy with you.”

          “Come here you rat bastard!” I shouted as I shot up and took off down the hall after him, everyone’s laughter echoing off the walls, Ryan’s the loudest of all.


	11. Chapter 11

          Ryan came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist while peppering my shoulders with featherlight kisses. I shivered as his warm breath tickled my gills and the fresh smell of spring rain wafted in from the highlands, mixing with the salty ocean air and stirring up the clouds that I could see forming on the horizon. Ryan sighed as thunder rolled in the distance and I watched the ships.

          “I’m assuming that Dominic is taking care of Arin?” I smirked as familiar sails bob in the harbor, it’s crew in town to ride out the storm.

          “Of course,” Ryan chuckled. “I believe he’s showing him to his room as we speak.”

          “So we can’t leave for a while,” I huffed.

          “Not unless you want to hear things you don’t want to. Besides, do you really want to? All our plans are put on hold because of the storm, everything is ready for tomorrow. We can just stay in our room and relax.”

          I smiled as he continued his explorations, adding a few playful nips to his repertoire of kisses and nuzzles. It never got old. We had been together for several months now and I still got tingles when he would look at me with the pure, unadulterated adoration that lit up his face. Every kiss was warm and wanting. Wanting to be closer, wanting to love me, never wanting to let go.

          Ryan stopped his teasing to rest his chin on my shoulder so he could squeeze me before finding my hands and lacing our fingers together, his left hand shifting slightly so he could look at the way the diamond refracted the fading light. I heard him smile at the same time as one spread across my face and he held me tightly as he buried his face into my shoulder.

          I nearly started crying again. I had bawled my eyes out the other night when he proposed. I don’t know why I did, we had agreed that we wanted to get married a few weeks ago and I had been sleeping in his room since a week after his birthday, but the joy that filled my heart when he asked me to marry him was something I had never experienced. I already felt like I belonged here, but there was something affirming about knowing that I was wanted here.

          “I love you,” Ryan whispered as he nuzzled me.

          “I love you too.”

          I twisted around in his arms and held him tightly, giggling as he squeezed the air out of my lungs and shook me a bit. Our noses touched and we stared into each other's eyes as the first few raindrops fell around us.

          “What? Afraid of a little rain?” I teased as he started to pull me back into our room.

          “I would rather not get the bed soaking wet,” he purred as I let him move me. “Or at least not because of that anyway.”

_“Ryan,”_ I gasped, my mind going blank as he fixed me with a wicked and lustful look.

          He had been upfront with his desires from day one. We had spent many nights curled up in bed talking about what we wanted and how far we were willing to go, and for the most part, Ryan wanted to keep it clean so to speak. Yeah, his hands and lips wandered while we were kissing and we had pulled many moans from one another as we teased each other through our clothes, but Ryan had been adamant that we wait to do anything more. He wanted to take it slow and I was willing to wait as long as he needed, but recently he had been dropping hints that maybe he was ready. He had taken to grinding on me while we were kissing, he started talking dirty and ending it with “I’ll have to remember this.” and going back to his innocent kisses as if he hadn’t just driven me up the wall. This was the first time he had ever been so openly and explicitly… _thirsty._

          “What?” he hummed through a thick tone of desire that was making my heart race.

          I couldn’t make words come out of my mouth. They got caught in my throat as his gaze washed over my body like a thick syrup.

          “Are you sure?” I managed to breathe out, my own desire creeping into my voice as my entire body started to thrum with it.

          “Positive,” he smiled as he sank to the floor in front of me. “I’ve been thinking a lot about it. How badly I wanted you to be my Queen and how badly I wanted you here with me, but I realized that you’ve been so kind and patient while waiting for me to make up my mind on what I wanted from you, and I’ve been selfishly thinking of you as mine.”

          “Yes, I’m sure,” he breathed as he pulled up my shirt and kissed above my waistband. “I want the Queen to stop being patient with her King. Show me what you want from me Love.”

          My brain malfunctioned again as he stared up at me, his dark lustful eyes now a little glassy as he submitted to me. The way he transferred the power to me made my fingertips tingle and he smiled as he saw me finally cleared my mind enough to start formulating a plan.

          I bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips as I tipped his chin up towards me. His crown started to slide off his head as he leaned back but I caught it before it fell off and held it for a moment before slyly smirking.

          “Your queen wants you on the bed,” I ordered as I put the crown on my own head, grinning as Ryan visibly shuddered and bit his lip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a whole nother chapter planned, but I decided that it wasn't going the way I wanted it to. I decided that this would be the best way to end this. It's a nice "Happily Ever After", right? ;3
> 
> I know most people who are into the Mad King are probably into him being dominant, but idk... I really like a King who knows how to submit to his Queen ;3

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! I heard it was MerMay and I've had this sitting in the wings just for this month! So I'm putting all my other fics on hold this month and am focusing on polishing this one up as well as the others I've let gather dust for too long.
> 
> Oh... and get used to Arin... You're going to be seeing him somewhere else soon ;)


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